Travel Keys - scam or real business?

[AquaGirl]

Last month, I had a similar experience to the forumite who sent inquiries regarding various villas, then received an email from a business that she had not contacted. (see topic about Smart Rentals online). I was looking at various villas in Sept and made a few inquiries. I received an email from Garrett at Travel Keys listing a bunch of familiar villas. I wondered how this business got my email address and didn't respond.

I have looked at lots of St John villa websites over the years, and had never heard of this one. The website (Travel Keys) looks legitimate and appears to be based in the U.K. I don't plan to use them because I am uncomfortable with how they got my email address since I didn't send anything to them nor use their website. On their website, in the press area, they say "Recently listed as the top Caribbean Villa Specialist in Conde Nast". When I followed the link to the page, there was a picture of a Conde Nast magazine, so I clicked on it. I skimmed the article and found no mention of travel keys in it (although I could have missed it because I read it quickly).

Anyone know if this is a legitimate business?

[michigan girls]

They replied to me from an inquiry I sent on VRBO. I asked some availability questions on a certain property and when they got back to me she said the owner wasn't responding, would I consider some of their other properties. When I looked at their offerings, the price was higher through them than other agencies that represent the same properties. I will always try to use a management company that's on island when possible, so I decided not to pursue any properties through them. Never occurred to me that they might be a scam though?

[inuny]

It sounds like another scammer (see recent posts about smart rentals). Since you know you sent it through VRBO, I think you should inform VRBO's fraud protection unit.

[Knolmom]

Just saw an add for Travel Keys and they seem to be affiliated with Villas Caribe. I would check with that agency if you are in doubt.

[Margy Z]

Villas Caribe has become Travel Keys. Travel Keys has consolidated a number of other smaller agencies which could be how they got your e-mail address if you had previously contacted one of the entities consolidated. They also have some ads on vrbo and on Trip Advisor as do other bookings agents like Luxury Retreats and Villas of Distinction. These agents list themselves as "managers" but they are not day-to-day managers of the properties. Travel Keys is a legit villa booking agent (or wholesaler). They will book your reservation through the actual management company who will be your contact on island. Sometimes booking agents price differently than the management company - number of bedrooms vs number of guests, that sort of thing. We always like to deal directly with the management company who has flip-flops on the ground wherever we are staying. JMO, but I just don't see any added value to reserving through a a large booking agent, especially at a premium rate.

[SCTravelKeys]

My name is Stewart Caughman and I am the Director of Sales at Travel Keys. We are a family owned and operated company, that has been a leader in the villa industry for 20+ years now. The company was founded as Villas Caribe, as our core destinations were all based in the Caribbean. In recent years, we have expanded our villa inventory to include destinations like Mexico, Central America, Italy, Greece, Bali, and several state-side destinations. With so many of our villa rental options located outside of the Caribbean, we re-branded ourselves as Travel Keys in the fall of 2012.

I want to thank Margy Z for her reply. She is correct - we are a villa wholesaler that assists villa owners and local villa managers. However, I would like to point out that we do not market ourselves as 'villa managers,' nor is there a premium for utilizing our services. The rates found on our website are the exact same rates a villa manager or villa homeowner lists - there are no markup fees to our guests.

Please feel free to view any of our villa listings on www.travelkeys.com or www.villascaribe.com.

Stewart Caughman
TravelKeys